Guys I am really, really, really sorry about the long delay in posting the next update. Actually my life has been going through a bit of an upheaval... first I went back to Australia... have been working full time... and now I'm returning back to India soon!!
But I promise to post the parts regularly from now on!
Here's your next chapter!
Chapter Thirty Six
Christmas had passed, celebrated with only a small party, and now preparations for New Year's in the academy were in full swing for the party that was to be held that evening. Yudi had arranged to hire a magician to entertain them, and there was going to be some music provided as well, courtesy of Abhimanyu's music class.
As the cadets put up decorations, it was easy to see the varying moods among them. Ali helped Pooja as she strung up streamers, holding the ladder steady for her and occasionally passing her things, as she chatted merrily away to him. A quiet, happy smile could be seen on his face as he listened to her, an expression that he wore more and more often these days whenever Pooja was around. She was more demonstrative about her happiness, constantly smiling and telling anybody who asked exactly the reason why she was so happy.
Yudi was currently enthusiastically explaining to Dr Shalini about the magic show that was going to take place that evening, and listening excitedly when she told him that she was an amateur magician herself, having entertained friends with her skills in college days. Shalini seemed to be genuinely happy as she explained about the skills she knew to him, promising to teach him what she knew.
The last pair that could be found helping with the preparations were Sherry and Aalekh, who were in charge of the food and refreshments. Of all of the cadets there, they were the only ones that seemed quieter, subdued. Sherry barely spoke, arranging things quietly, her face downcast while Aalekh watched her worriedly. Naina had told him she was concerned about Sherry, but she hadn't needed to, Aalekh would have realised something was wrong by himself. So he had taken it upon himself to watch over her, intending to keep Huda at a distance before he could do anything to make it worse.
Aalekh had never worked out what it was that troubled Sherry so much, only that it was something to do with her father. However now he saw a second type of worry in her eyes, a deeper sadness than he had seen before. And the reason… he thought he knew the reason this time, which was an even better reason to keep Huda away from her. Huda was currently with a group of girl cadets, offering his help to them and flirting, but Aalekh was sure that it was only his stony glare that had kept Huda away from bothering Sherry.
Aalekh suspicions were confirmed when he saw Abhimanyu walk into the room, as if intending to check on the preparations. However it was easy for Aalekh to see where his teacher's gaze immediately went, who it was that he watched. Even as Abhi wandered around the room, checking on individual cadets and their preparations, he constantly glanced over at Sherry. For her part, she stubbornly refused to look up towards him, and yet it was obvious by her posture that she knew he was there, knew exactly where it was that he was standing in the room.
They were the last group that Abhimanyu approached, and even then Sherry only glanced up briefly, nodding at him before going back to her preparations. Aalekh didn't think he had ever seen his teacher look as hurt before as he did at that moment, even as he tries to hide it by smiling at both of them.
"So how are the preparations going, Sherry and Aalekh?" he asks them, "What do we have prepared for us tonight?"
Sherry remains silent, and Aalekh realises that it's going to be up to him to answer. "Sherry and I aren't such bad cooks, Sir." He tells him, "But it'll be a surprise. Actually this time, Sherry took most of the responsibility."
She glances up briefly at this, and then looks away again, quietly excusing herself by saying she has to do something in the kitchen.
Abhimanyu glances at her retreating form in frustration before turning to Aalekh. "Aalekh… do you know what it is that's wrong?" he asks him, "I've been trying… but she's stopped talking to me. I don't know what it is that's wrong, what it is that I've done, and I don't know how to fix it."
Aalekh is a bit surprised at Abhimanyu discussing this type of thing with him, but guesses that it must be a sign of how desperate he really is to make things better.
"Sir… I think that Sherry needs a bit of time." Aalekh tells him, "She's not angry with you, she's just…"
He can't finish the sentence because at that moment an orderly comes to call Abhimanyu to the phone, something that seems to frustrate him even more.
"I'll be right back," he tells Aalekh, obviously not wanting to leave until he's gotten his answer.
The moment that he's gone, Huda leaves the group of girls and approaches, an angry look on his face. "What did that Jhabreela want?" he asks harshly, "Why doesn't he just leave Sherry alone, can't he see that she doesn't want to talk to him?"
"Dekh Huda, I'm warning you, just stay out of this." Aalekh tells him in a very dangerous tone. "Sherry can decide for herself who it is that she does and doesn't want to talk to."
"Oh, so you've decided to be her guardian again, have you?" Huda asked him, becoming even angrier, "You can't keep me away from her."
"Let's see…" Aalekh tells him, "I can try my best."
They stared at each other for a moment, before Suriji coming in to check on their preparations distracted them, and deciding to leave it be for the moment, Huda went back to the group of girls he had been with.
**
Abhimanyu approached the phone, unsure of who it was who had called him since they had refused to give a name.
"Hello?"
"Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan?"
"Yes, and who is this?"
"You don't need to know that," the voice told him, "All you need to know is that I'm your well wisher."
"And what is it that my well wisher wants?" Abhi asked him, doubting the person's intentions and yet at the same time, knowing that this could be important in relating to the case of the spy.
"I believe that you're trying to find out more about your friend Navin Singh Ahluwalia's case…" The person continues, causing Abhi's breath to catch, there is a long pause and then, "How would you like to know who the person to kill him was?"
"Tell me." Abhi commands him, "Tell me who it was."
"You might not believe me." The person continues, almost teasingly, "Are you sure that you want to know?"
"Just tell me, damn it." Abhi says heatedly, losing his patience.
"What if I was to tell you, that the person who killed Navin Singh Ahluwalia was nobody else than your best friend… Rajveer Singh Shekawat?"
For a moment Abhi can't breathe, this can't be true, it can't….
"I don't believe you." He says, "Raj would never…"
"If you don't believe me, then go and ask him yourself, see whether he denies it." The person says, and then the call is cut, as Abhi stares at the phone.
It can't be true, it can't. He won't even ask… but if it is….
**
Naina and Raj are both preparing for the evening ahead when there is a knock at the door and Raj opens it to see a very agitated Abhi standing there.
"Come in Chauhan," he tells him smilingly, "Is something wrong?"
Abhi walks in, and Raj closes the door behind him. Naina looks at him concerned, wondering what it is that he's so agitated about.
"I just got a call…" Abhi tells them, "From somebody who said they had information about Navin's case… and there's something that I need to ask you, Raj."
"Ask me, Chauhan, whatever it is, ask me." Raj tells him, beginning to get tense.
"I didn't believe them… but I have to ask anyway… did you… Navin…. Did you kill Navin, Raj?"
Abhi waits, and as the silence stretches on, he realises with shock that he's gotten his answer.
"Yes," Raj finally replies solemnly, "I was the one that killed Navin."
The situation is so tense that Naina is worried about what will happen next, because by the way that Abhi is staring at Raj it seems almost as if he might be about to punch her husband or attack him. She steps forward, almost in front of Raj, hoping that at least her presence might stop any violence from breaking out.
"All of these years…" Abhi says after a deep breath, "All of these years while I searched for the killer, it was you all along."
Raj remains silent at this, there's nothing he can say to the accusation.
"All of these years, and you never told me, never admitted the truth. Why would you after all?" Abhimanyu asks, "How could you admit to such a thing?"
"Abhi… they told you that I was the one that killed him, but they didn't tell you how it happened." Raj tells him, almost pleadingly, after everything he doesn't want to lose his best friend… not now.
"How it happened? It's enough that it happened!" Abhi tells him, "I let Navin go, hoping that he might be able to live free…escape, and you…" He suddenly looks at Naina, and then back at Raj. "And then after killing him, you went to his house and got married to his sister? You never…"
He shakes his head in disbelief and heads for the door.
"Abhi, wait!" Raj calls out, "At least listen to…"
"I don't want to listen to anything right now," Abhi tells him, "And if it wasn't for Naina being here…" He leaves, banging the door behind him and Raj stares at Naina helplessly.
"He won't even listen… how can I explain… how can I tell him…" Raj is dangerously close to breaking down, and Naina steps forward quickly, hugging him to her.
"I should've told him… and now he's found out from someone else. How will I ever convince him, Naina?" he asks her, and sighing Naina steps back from Raj.
"Leave that to me." She tells him, "Right now Abhimanyu is angry, he doesn't want to listen to anyone. It's been a big shock after all. But if I go… if I go then I think he'll listen to me."
She touches Raj's face, trying to reassure him that it will be fine, that she's going to be able to fix it. He nods, trusting her to do so and she leaves the room, quickly heading to Abhimanyu's quarters and knocking on the door. It takes him awhile to open it, but when he does and sees her there, he just stares.
"Please, Naina, I'm not in the mood to listen to anything right now…" he tells her, "And you especially…"
"I especially, am the one that needs to talk to you about this." Naina tells him, and without waiting for an answer pushes her way inside, "And you will listen to what I have to say."
She sits down on one of his chairs, and realising that she's not going to leave until he hears her out, he sits down opposite her.
"Yes… Raj didn't tell you the truth." Naina starts, "But can you blame him? He was scared… scared that you would react in exactly the way you did just now."
"I can't believe that you're excusing him," Abhimanyu says in disbelief, "You in particular… did you know about this when you married him, or did you find out later? How could you forgive him for killing your brother?"
"I forgave him… because my parents forgave him… and because I understood why he had to do what he did." Naina tells Abhimanyu, looking him directly in the eye, "And I found out the very first day that I met him. That was the reason that he came to our house, to confess to us, to ask for our forgiveness, for how he might atone… and my parents… they weren't angry even for a moment, because they remembered…"
Naina breaks off suddenly, becoming emotional at the memory. "You must know how much my brother was tortured in jail." She tells Abhi, "And then what was his life going to be like? Forever on the run? Forever scared, hiding? Should Navin have had that type of life? Instead, when he met Raj, he begged him to kill him, begged him to set him free, and Raj… seeing his suffering, could not refuse."
Naina breaks down on saying this, crying as she thinks about it, about both of their helplessness, the way they both must have felt at that moment. Abhi watches her, his expression now changed, as realisation dawns. "Had there been any other option…" Naina tells him, "I know that Raj would never have done it. But Navin… Navin left him no choice, and when my parents, when I, have understood and forgiven him… then please, don't misunderstand what Raj did. He only has one best friend left, and he needs your support. Don't leave him to suffer through this alone."
Having said this, she stands up, wiping her tears and heads towards the door. "Please Abhimanyu," she tells him, "Think about what I've said… think about what you would've done if you were the one that Navin asked."
And with these words she leaves.
**
It is an hour later, when the party is about to begin, that there is a knock on the door of Raj and Naina's quarters, and he looks up hopefully, calling out to the person to come in. However when it is Sherry that enters, he once again becomes serious, still holding Naina's hand where they sit together on the couch.
"Well I can see neither of you are in a party mood." Sherry tells them with a frown, "Are you that upset about saying goodbye to the previous year?"
There's no response, and she realises that something is genuinely and seriously wrong. Sighing, she sits down on the chair nearby to them. "What is it?" she asks, "And don't think that I'm going to go away until you tell me, so you might as well tell me what the truth is."
And realising that it might be best if Sherry found out the truth before it's revealed to her by someone else, Naina reveals everything to her sister-in-law as Raj stays silent. Sherry's eyes widen when she hears the truth but she doesn't say anything, remaining silent for a moment before nodding. She doesn't feel she needs to say anything, but today… she truly understands why the bond between her brother and Naina is so strong.
"Alright," she tells them, "You two get ready for the party now."
"Sherry…. I really don't think that either of us feels like attending a party anymore." Raj tells her, "We'll stay here instead."
"I don't want to hear any excuses." Sherry tells him, "Get ready, and be at the party within ten minutes, everything will be fine."
She walks to the door, pausing to look back at them, "And don't even think of disobeying me." She says in a strict tone, bringing a smile to Raj's face at least for a moment.
When she walks out, they look at each other, and Naina squeezes Raj's hand. "It'll be fine," she tells him, "We're together in this… and I know, everything will work out fine."
He takes her hand and raises it to his lips, because even he believes that everything might work out fine.
"We'd better get ready then," he tells her resignedly, "Neither of us wants to find out what happens if we disobey Sherry."
**
When Abhi hears a knock on his door again, he opens it hesitantly, not knowing who to expect and genuinely surprised when he sees Sherry there.
She walks into the room without an invitation, and he only half closes the door, knowing that he probably shouldn't be alone in his room with any female cadet.
She looks around almost casually, taking in her surroundings, having never actually been in his room before, and then she turns back to him, looking him up and down, and seeing his disheveled state.
"So I heard that you've acted like a bit of an idiot." She tells him, one eyebrow raised.
Abhi opens his mouth to argue with her, and then realises that that's exactly what he had acted like. Without bothering to listen to reasons, he had decided that his only remaining best friend was at fault. He hadn't bothered to consider what Raj must have gone through, how he must have felt… and now ever since Naina left he's tried to work out what he would've done if in the same position, and has realised that yes… he would've done exactly the same thing.
"Yes," he admits, "I have."
"Well that's alright," Sherry tells him with a shrug, "Everybody is allowed to act like an idiot occasionally, as long as they realise they have afterwards and make up for it. Now it's the last day of the year today, are you going to let this idiocy carry over into the New Year as well?"
"No…" he tells her, and then his expression changes, "But how can I go to Raj now, after how I behaved, after what I said… how can I face him?"
"Very easily." Sherry tells him, "Now go into your bedroom and get changed, I expect you to take less than five minutes, then we're going to solve this once and for all."
Abhi stares at her, unable to believe that despite being one of his cadets she's ordering him around. However Sherry has always been different… how different, he's only just beginning to realise. He goes to his bedroom and quickly changes into the outfit he had picked out earlier, washing his face before he goes out to join Sherry again, looking at her properly for the first time since she had come in. Even she's dressed for the evening, in a pair of jeans and a top that looks new. He notices that she's wearing the hairband and the earrings that Raj and Naina had brought her back from Shimla. As usual she hasn't put on any make up, but with her hair tied back neatly, and the casual outfit, she looks…
He's never really thought before about how pretty she really is, when she goes to so much effort to hide it behind shaggy hair and an attitude. But tonight… it looks almost as if she might have tried to make an effort for once.
"Shall we go?" Sherry asks him, and when he doesn't respond, she grabs his wrist, leading him out the front door and then stopping to allow him to lock his door. Once that's done, she once again sets off, sighing when he doesn't follow her immediately and reaching out to take his wrist, tugging him forward until they've reached the area of the party. Letting go of him, she points out where her Bhaiyya and Bhabhie are standing, and then turns to him expectantly.
"Okay, go ahead." She tells him, "We should finish this right now."
"But what am I supposed to do?" Abhi asks her, "How can I…"
"Go over to them, give Bhaiyya a big hug, and tell him you're sorry." Sherry says in her typical no nonsense way. "Trust me, all the problems will automatically be solved by themselves. Now go ahead and do it before I have to take you over there myself."
She gives him a very strict look, and he momentarily grins. "You're very bossy, aren't you?" he asks, quite amused.
"You were the one who told me I had the right to be." She reminds him, "Now go ahead."
**
Ritu had heard the earlier conversation in Raj and Naina's room in delight, believing that she had finally accomplished her task. With Raj and Abhi at odds, her mission would be much easier, but now as she watched him talking with Sherry and then making his way across to Raj and Naina, she had a doubt.
Had somebody managed to ruin her plans yet again?
**
Raj waited somewhat nervously as Abhi approached him, and there was a moment when his friend stood silently in front of him that he thought….
Then Abhi opened his arms and enfolded Raj in an embrace, hugging him tightly, and Raj hugged him back just as hard.
"I'm so sorry my friend," Abhi told him, "I should've listened…. Should've tried to understand… if it wasn't for Naina coming and talking sense into me, and then Sherry… then whoever told this to me would've succeeded in setting us apart."
"Your reaction was perfectly understandable." Raj tells him, "And I should've told you a long time ago… I should've had the courage."
"Leave it for now." Abhi tells him, "Don't make me more embarrassed. Let's forget about it with the old year, and move on with the new year."
They hug each other again, and Naina smiles, looking over to nod at Sherry in thanks, who nods in return and then turns away, leaving to find her friends. She joins them, standing close by to Aalekh, and ignoring the admiring looks that Huda is giving her. The evening passes well, Shalini comes over to join Raj, Naina and Abhi and they chat happily about everything that has happened in the last year, and what they expect for the next one. The only person who is unhappy is Ritu, who does her best to smile when she would rather be snarling, directing some venomous glances when she can towards both Naina and Sherry, knowing that they're responsible for the friends making up.
The cadets' band performs quite well as Abhi watches them proudly, and for the first time in quite awhile, Sherry seems happy to catch his eye, having forgotten that she was trying to avoid him in the effort of trying to reunite him with Raj. He's glad, because he's been finding it extremely difficult as she avoids him. Even if the problem hasn't been solved between them, at least she's finally talking to him again.
Once the performance is over and the magician has come on, Sherry wanders away, and he follows her, walking out into the corridor behind her.
"Sherry!" he calls out, and she turns around, looking at him almost a little self consciously before glancing down at her feet. "Why are you leaving already? It's not even midnight."
She shrugs, still not looking at him properly, "I'm a bit tired." She tells him, "I thought I'd go to bed now… get some sleep early."
"You can't even wait until the end of the party? After you put so much effort in?"
She shrugs yet again, finally raising her eyes to look him in the face, "I'm not really in a partying mood." She replies, "It might be a new year… but things will continue as they always have."
"You don't know that," Abhi tells her, taking another step towards her, "This year could have many things in store for you, new happiness… new experiences… don't give up hope before it's even begun."
Sherry smiles finally, shaking her head slightly. "You have so many hopes for me, don't you?" she asks him, "Won't you ever give up?"
"No, never." Abhi tells her, "Not until I see you smiling like this every day. I'll keep on trying."
Her smile falters for a moment, and then she regains it. "I'm just happy that everything is sorted out between you and Bhaiyya." She tells him, "Try not to fight with him again… he really does need you."
"I want to thank you, Sherry." Abhi tells her, "For making me stop being such a coward and go and sort things out with him. If it wasn't for you and Naina..."
He takes another step closer, and impulsively hugs her, it isn't a long hug, or a particularly tight one, but there is one moment when Sherry briefly allows herself to hug him back before she steps away out of his embrace.
"I did what was best," she tells him, seeming a little embarrassed and not looking at him anymore. "I'll always try to do what's best."
She gives him a look that is almost searching, and then turns around, once more headed towards her room. He stares after her, not quite sure what it is that he's feeling, except for a profound relief that it seems as if she's no longer avoiding him.
Deciding that he can't do anything else for the night, he heads back to the party, intending to spend some more time with Raj and Naina.
Inside the party, as the clock strikes midnight, Raj turns and kisses Naina on the cheek, before hugging her to him.
"From now on it's a new year," he tells her, "Whatever this year has in store for us, at least we know we'll be together for all of it."
Naina leans her head against his chest, happy to be securely in his embrace.
It will be their first full year together. She knows that there will be challenges, but they'll be able to face them together.
And really, they've started it on a very good note.
***
Lots of nice comments please!
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